EXCLUSIVE: Effective immediately, Ashton Fontana has joined The Initiative Group as an Executive Vice President.
The clients following her to Initiative include both established and emerging talent, including 3x Oscar winner Meryl Streep, with whom she has worked for 14 years, as well as 5x Emmy nominee Giancarlo Esposito, Emmy and DGA winner Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tale), Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets), Tyriq Withers (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Him), Xolo Maridueña (Blue Beetle), Denée Benton (The Gilded Age), and Gabby Beans (Honey, Don’t).
Fontana tells Deadline, “I am incredibly excited to step into this new chapter with The Initiative Group. This move represents an opportunity to bring my executive leadership to an innovative team, at a time when our industry is changing in bold and necessary ways. I am thrilled to be among colleagues who are adapting thoughtfully and approaching this moment with creativity.”
In addition to her work in personal representation, Fontana has led strategy on feature campaigns such as Oscar winners Spotlight, Call Me By Your Name, and Blackkklansman, as well as Sundance Film Festival Winners Dope and Dear White People, among many others. She has worked closely with such filmmakers as Darren Aronofsky, Scott Cooper, and Destin Daniel Cretton during her career.
Fontana was named one of the NY Observer‘s 15 PR Rising Stars of 2018. She has also been recognized by “My Publicist is Black,” a coalition amplifying the work of black people in media, co-founded by Yvette Noel-Schure (known for her work representing Beyoncé).
As a bicoastal collective, The Initiative Group is known for its forward-thinking business model and collaborative culture. The entertainment and corporate lifestyle brain trust is led by PR veterans Cindy Guagenti, Paulette Kam, Gary Mantoosh, Christina Papadopoulos, Lisa Perkins, Jamie Skinner. New additions to the company include Lauren Hozempa, Natasha Dubin-Collatos, and Charlene Young.
TIG’s existing client roster includes the likes of Jennifer Coolidge, Glen Powell, Adam Sandler, Charles Melton, Miles Teller, Simu Liu, Anna Kendrick, Connie Britton, Julia Fox, Whitney Peak, Kelsey Asbille, Marlee Matlin, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Justice Smith, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Anthony Anderson and Danai Gurira among others. Corporate clients include Latino Film Institute Ball and Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
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